Digital Exhaustion

The definitive guide for rescuing ourselves from the onslaught of mind-numbing, soul-crushing, and addictive digital tools that pervade our lives. This gem is packed with research-based antidotes that will help us do better work, keep our sanity, and give the people we care about and love the attention they deserve. * —Robert I. Sutton, Stanford Professor Emeritus and bestselling author of The No Asshole Rule and The Friction Project (with Huggy Rao) *You’re not imagining it — technology can be helpful and exhausting. In this wise and practical book, Paul Leonardi shares strategies for becoming smart managers of our digital lives. From paring down my apps to limiting the carpool texts, I came away with several new ideas for reclaiming my time and energy. * Laura Vanderkam, author of Tranquility by Tuesday and 168 Hours *Digital Exhaustion is a must-read book for our times. Cogent. Compelling. Hopeful. Full of practical tips informed by science on how digital media can enrich our lives, as well as how to avoid the real harms. Parents will get valuable information on how to raise healthy kids in the twenty-first century. * —Anna Lembke, MD, author of Dopamine Nation *Paul Leonardi makes a compelling case that digital exhaustion is a scourge that we can no longer ignore. Fortunately, he also provides a practical game plan for pushing back. It’s time to reclaim our lives! * —Cal Newport, bestselling author of Slow Productivity and Deep Work *This superb new book by award-winning scholar Paul Leonardi is by far his best work to date. And that is saying a lot. Digital Exhaustion develops a compelling, research-backed argument for the emotional and physical toll our overload of digital tools is taking on all of us—and offers a healthier path forward. Do not miss this chance to learn, discuss with colleagues and friends, and figure out where you want to go next in managing the digital world at work and in life. * —Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership, Harvard Business School, and author of Right Kind of Wrong *

Paul Leonardi, PhD, is the award-winning Duca Family Professor of Technology Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Over the past decade, he has consulted with for-profit and non-profit organizations (including Google, Microsoft, General Motors, Baxter, Discover, and Cisco). He is also a regular keynote speaker for corporate trainings and user conferences on topics related to communication and digital technologies. He is the co-author of The Digital Mindset with Tsedal Neeley. He received his PhD in management science and engineering from Stanford University.